Why straw men do not have beating hearts

Followup.

Ran across this post from Brian McLaren that argues that Rick Warren (and for that matter, Barack Obama) are not mere ideological symbols which can be tarnished by ill associations.

My friend Rick Warren is in trouble with one set of critics for being too tough on gay folk. And my friend Rich Cizik is in trouble with another set of critics for being too soft on gay folk.

President Obama is in trouble with one set of critics for being too soft on Rick Warren, and Rick Warren is in trouble with another set of critics for being too soft on President Obama....

If Rick were the right-wing nut-job that some of his hefty-lefty critics are painting him to be, he wouldn't dare accept an invitation by a Democratic pro-choice pro-gay President. If the President-Elect were the left-wing nut job his tighty-righty critics paint him to be ... he wouldn't invite Prop-8-supporting Rick Warren to give the invocation. If Rick were the compromising apostate his tighty-righty critics claim him to be, he wouldn't outspokenly disagree with the President-Elect on gay marriage and criminalizing abortion. And so on ... you get the point.

Now one could argue that this attitude represents a certain wishi-washiness that is not necessarily productive and is in fact dangerous.

It depends upon whether you are compromising your message. There are certainly examples of people who do not compromise their basic message, but who are willing to speak to anybody:

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

Acts 17:22-23 (New International Version)

22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

One could not picture Paul using such an introduction to the devout people of Jerusalem. Or Jesus, who was willing to reveal His Messiahship to a Samaritan, willing to make the same revelation to a Jew.

(And in fact, Paul not only spoke differently, but also behaved differently; compare Acts 16:1-3 with Galatians 2:3.)

But there are people who do compromise:

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

Revelation 3:14-16 (New International Version)

14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

So is Rick Warren a principled man who chooses to share a single life-saving message to many in pursuit of the Great Commission, or is he an unprincipled man who chooses to change his message to fit whatever temporary...um...purpose is relevant at the time?

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